ISLAM

30
FACTS

1) "Islam" means "surrender" or "submission". "Salam" (which means "peace") is

the root word of "Islam". In a religious context the word "Islam" means "the
surrendering of one's will (without compulsion) to the true will of God in an effort to
achieve peace".

2) "Muslim" means "anyone or anything that surrenders itself to the true will of
God". By this definition, everything in nature (trees, animals, planets, etc.) are
"muslims" because they are in a state of surrender to God's will. In other words,
they are fulfilling the purpose for which God created them.

3) Islam is not a new religion or cult. It is a universal way of life and civilization.
Studies show that between 1.5 and 1.8 billion people in the world identify their
religion as Islam. Along with Judaism and Christianity it traces its roots through
Prophet Abraham and back to the first humans Adam and Eve.

4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken
with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim: A) Declaration of
faith in One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five
times a day. C) Poor-due "tax" - 2.5% of one's excess wealth given to the needy
once a year. D) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able.
E) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must
have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B)
all of the true prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Moses, David,
Jesus and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F)
destiny.

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual,
physical, intellectual, social, economical, etc.

7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To become Muslim, a
person of any race or culture must say a simple statement, the shahadah, that
bears witness to the belief in the One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God.

8) "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is
the personal name of God.

9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation.
Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean there are
different gods. Many Hispanics refer to God as "Dios" and many French refer to God
as "Dieu" yet they mean the same God. Many Arab Jews and Arab Christians call
God "Allah" and the word "Allah" (in Arabic script) appears on the walls of many
Arab churches and on the pages of Arabic Bibles. Although the understanding of
God may differ between the various faith groups, it does not change the fact that
the One Lord and Creator of the Universe is the God of all people.

10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful and compassionate.
Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in punishment. However, Allah once said
to Muhammad, "My mercy prevails over my wrath". So Islam teaches a balance
between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair.

11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names, or attributes, in the
Qur'an. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of
these names are the All-Merciful, the All-Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the
Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden and the Source of All Peace.

12) The Christian concept of "vicarious atonement" (the idea that Jesus died for the
sins of humanity) is alien to the Islamic concept of personal responsibility. Islam
teaches that on the Day of Judgment every person will be resurrected and will be
accountable to God for their every word and deed. Consequently, a practicing
Muslim is always striving to be righteous while hoping and praying for God's
acceptance and grace.

13) Muslims believe in all of the true prophets that preceded Muhammad, from
Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe they brought the same message of voluntarily
surrendering to God's will (islam, in a generic sense) to different peoples at different

times. Muslims also believe they were "muslims" (again, in a generic sense) since
they followed God's true guidance and surrendered their will to Him.

14) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely
worship the Unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

15) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (as revealed to Moses) and the
original unaltered Bible (as revealed to Jesus) since they were revealed by God. But
none of these scriptures exist today in their original form or in their entirety.
Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final and preserved revelation of God, the
Qur'an.

16) The Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed
to Muhammad (through angel Gabriel) and written into physical form by his
companions.

17) The original Arabic text of the Qur'an contains no flaws or contradictions, and
has not been altered since its revelation.

18) Actual 7th century Qur'ans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in
Turkey and other places around the world.

19) If all Qur'ans in the world today were destroyed, the original Arabic would still
remain. This is because millions of Muslims, called "hafiz" (or "guardians") have
memorized the text letter for letter from beginning to end, every word and every
syllable. Also, chapters from the Qur'an are precisely recited from memory in each
of the five formal prayers performed daily by hundreds of millions of Muslims
throughout the world.

20) Some attribute the early and rapid spread of Islam to forced conversions by the
sword. While it is accurate that the Muslim empire initially spread, for the most part,
through battles and conquests (a common phenomenon for that time) the religion of
Islam itself was never forced on anyone who found themselves living under Muslim
rule. In fact, non-Muslims were afforded the right to worship as they pleased as long

as a tax, called "jizyah", was paid. During the Dark Ages, Jews, Christians and others
were given protection by the Muslims from religious persecutions happening in
Europe. Islam teaches no compulsion in religion (Qur'an 2:256 and 10:99). For more,
read "The Spread of Islam in the World" by Thomas Arnold.

21) Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of non-combatant civilians (or even
intimidating, threatening or injuring them) are all absolutely forbidden in Islam.
Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring peace to a society whether its people are
Muslim or not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be a result
of their ignorance, frustration, uncontrolled anger or political (not religious)
ambitions. Anyone who condones or commits an act of terrorism in the name of
Islam is simply not following Islam and is, in fact, violating its very tenets. These
people are individuals with their own personal views and agendas. Fanatical Muslims
are no more representative of the true teachings of Islam than fanatical Christians
are of the true teachings of Christianity or fanatical Jews are of the true teachings of
Judaism. The most prominent examples of such "religious" fanatics are Anders
Behring Breivik, the 2011 Norwegian terrorist who claimed in his manifesto to be
"100 percent Christian" and Baruch Goldstein, perpetrator of the 1994 Hebron
massacre who is considered by some Jews to be a "hero" and a "saint". Extremism
and fanaticism are problems not exclusive to Muslims. Anyone who thinks that all
Muslims are terrorists should remember that the former boxer Muhammad Ali,
perhaps the most celebrated person of our era, is a practicing Muslim.

22) The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". It actually means "to struggle" or
"to strive". In a religious context it means the struggle to successfully surrender
one's will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they are going for "jihad" when
fighting in a war to defend themselves or others, but they say this because they are
conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many other forms of
jihad which are much more relevant to the everyday life of a Muslim such as the
struggles against laziness, arrogance, stinginess, one's own ego, or the struggle
against a tyrant ruler or against the temptations of Satan, etc. Regarding the socalled verses of "holy war" in the Qur'an, two points: A) The term "holy war" neither
appears in the Arabic text of the Qur'an nor in any classical teachings of Islam. B)
The vast majority of verses in the Qur'an pertaining to violence refer to wartime
situations in which Muslims were permitted to defend themselves against violent
aggression. Any rational, intellectual analysis of the context and historical
circumstances surrounding such verses, often ignored by pundits or violent
extremists, proves this to be true. Other verses of violence deal with stopping
oppression, capital punishment and the like.

23) Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a woman is
not following Islam. Among the many teachings of Muhammad that protected the
rights and dignity of women is his saying, "...the best among you are those who
treat their wives well."

24) Islam grants women many rights in the home and in society. Among them are
the right to earn money, to financial support, to own property, to an education, to
an inheritance, to being treated kindly, to vote, to a bridal gift, to keep their maiden
name, to worship in a mosque, to a divorce, and so on.

25) Muslim women wear the head-covering (hijab) in fulfillment of God's decree to
dress modestly. This type of modest dress has been worn by religious women
throughout time such as traditional Catholic nuns, Mother Teresa and the Virgin
Mary.

26) Forced marriages, honor killings, female genital mutilation and the confinement
of women to their homes are all forbidden in Islam. These practices stem from
deeply entrenched cultural traditions and/or ignorance of the true Islamic teachings
or how to apply them in society. Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not
required. In fact, one of the conditions for a valid Islamic marriage contract is the
mutual consent of both parties to the marriage. And divorce is permissible provided
the Islamic guidelines are followed which protect the rights of all affected parties,
especially women and unborn children.

27) Islam and the Nation "of Islam" are two different religions. Islam is a religion for
all races and enjoins the worship of the One Unseen God who never took human
form. On the other hand "the Nation" is a movement geared towards non-whites
that teaches God appeared as a man named Fard Muhammad and that Elijah
Muhammad was a prophet. According to orthodox Islam these are blasphemous
beliefs that contradict the basic theology defined throughout the Qur'an and other
authentic texts. The followers of "the Nation" adhere to some Islamic principles that
are mixed with other practices and beliefs completely alien to authentic Islamic
teachings. To better understand the differences read about Malcolm X, his
pilgrimage to Mecca and his subsequent comments to the media. Islam teaches
equality amongst the races (Qur'an 49:13).

28) All Muslims are not Arab, Middle-Eastern or of African descent. Islam is a
universal religion and way of life that includes followers from all races. There are
Muslims in and from virtually every country in the world. Arabs only constitute
about 20% of Muslims worldwide. The countries with the largest Muslim populations
are not located in the Middle East. They are Indonesia (over 200 million Muslims)
and Pakistan and India (over 350 million Muslims combined).

29) In the five daily prayers Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is a
cube-shaped stone structure that was built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael
on the same foundations where Prophet Adam is believed to have built a sanctuary
for the worship of the One God. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a
focal point for Muslims around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing
their common belief, spiritual focus and direction. Interestingly the inside of the
Kaaba is empty.

30) The hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by about 3 million Muslims
from all corners of the Earth. It is performed to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam. The
rituals of hajj commemorate the struggles of Abraham, his wife Hagar and their son
Ishmael in surrendering their wills to God.